Apparatus for treatment of plants

ABSTRACT

A tray for positioning in an exit path of a bee hive comprises a base, a bee entrance end, and a bee exit end. Spaced apart side walls extend upwardly from the base. The sidewalls extend generally lengthwise between the bee entrance end and bee exit end. A plurality of posts extend upwardly from the base and are positioned between the bee entrance end and the bee exit end. The posts are generally circular in cross-section. The posts act as obstacles around which the bees must walk to reach the bee exit end from the bee entrance end.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/110,323 filed Mar. 11, 2014, which is the National Phase entry ofPCT/CA/2012/000288, file on Apr. 3, 2012 which claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 61/472,872 (filed on Apr. 7,2011) and 61/609,549 (filed on Mar. 12, 2012) each of which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The disclosure relates to insect vectoring, such as bee vectoring.Specifically, the disclosure relates to apparatuses for dissemination ofplant treatment agents by insects.

BACKGROUND

U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,511 (Gross et al.) purports to disclose biocontrolagents that are disseminated for the control of pests by Apis melliferaL., using a device inserted into a modified down-sized super which isintegrated as a substructure of a conventional, commercial beehive. Thedevice provides separate entry and departure pathways which allowsexiting bees to be surface-contaminated with the biocontrol agent asthey exit the hive.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,989,100 (Kovach) purports to disclose a beedissemination device or dispenser that is non destructive to the hive,is easy to insert, refill, and remove, and includes a cartridgeinsertable in a housing. The device is designed to be used by a nonprofessional bee keeper, such as a grower. It is inserted into theentrance of a standard bee hive with minimal disruption to the hive orcolony. When the bees exit the hive, they walk up a ramp through a drybiological control suspension and leave the hive, carrying anddepositing the biological control agent onto the flowers as theypollinate the crop. When the biological control agent runs low,additional material is added easily by lifting a hinged lid or replacingthe old cartridge with a filled one. The lid also provides some moistureprotection to keep the biological agent dry, thereby facilitating beeinoculation. The dispenser is removed by simply pulling it from the hiveentrance when pollination activities are completed. The removal is nondisruptive and does not destroy the integrity of the hive. When thedevice is inserted, refilled, or removed at night, minimal protectiveclothing is required by the user.

PCT patent application publication no. WO 2010/136599 (Put et al.)purports to disclose the dissemination of biological control agents orother substances through the use of bees, in particular bumblebees. Adisseminator device is installable in or in connection to the hive, andcontains biological control agents or other substances which are pickedup, carried and disseminated by the bees when leaving the hive.

SUMMARY

The following summary is intended to introduce the reader to variousaspects of the applicant's teaching, but not to define any invention.

According to one aspect, a tray for positioning in an exit path of a beehive comprises a base, a bee entrance end, and a bee exit end. Spacedapart side walls extend upwardly from the base. The sidewalls extendgenerally lengthwise between the bee entrance end and bee exit end. Aplurality of posts extend upwardly from the base and are positionedbetween the bee entrance end and the bee exit end. The posts aregenerally circular in cross-section. The posts act as obstacles aroundwhich the bees must walk to reach the bee exit end from the bee entranceend.

In some examples, the posts may be staggered such that the bees may notwalk in a straight line from the bee entrance end to the bee exit end.

In some examples, the tray may comprise a removable top sealed to theside walls. The top may be light impermeable and water impermeable.

In some examples, the tray may comprise a powdered plant treatmentformulation housed in the tray. The plant treatment formulation may havea depth of between about 2 mm and about 4 mm.

In some examples, the tray may further comprise a first set of stepsleading downwardly to the base at the bee entrance end, and a second setof steps leading upwardly from the base at the bee exit end.

In some examples, each post may have a top end and an opposed bottom endat base, and each post may be radiused at the bottom end.

In some examples, the tray may further comprise at least one obstructionextending inwardly from each of the sidewalls and upwardly from thebase.

In some examples, the tray may be plastic and may be moistureimpermeable.

According to another aspect, a replaceable tray for inserting into anexit path of a bee hive comprises a base, and at least one sidewallextending upwardly from the base and surrounding a periphery of thebase. The at least one sidewall defines an upper rim. A powdered planttreatment agent is on the base. A removable top is sealed to the upperrim. The removable top is moisture impermeable and light impermeable.

In some examples, the top may be heat-sealed to the sidewalls. The topmay be a metal foil. The top may carry a net positive electrostaticcharge.

According to another aspect, a replaceable tray for inserting into anexit path of a bee hive comprises a base, and at least one sidewallextending upwardly from the base and surrounding a periphery of thebase. A powdered plant treatment agent is on the base. The powderedplant treatment agent has a depth of between 2 mm and 4 mm.

According to another aspect, an insect vectoring apparatus comprises atray for positioning in an exit path of a beehive. The tray comprises abottom, and at least one side wall extending upwardly from the bottom.The tray further comprises a bee entrance end and a bee exit end, and alongitudinal axis extending therebetween. An openable tray lid ispositioned above the sidewalls. The lid comprises at least onedownwardly extending barrier wall extending thereacross in a directiontransverse to the longitudinal axis.

In some examples, the at least one barrier wall may comprise a pluralityof barrier walls.

In some examples, the lid may comprise at least one vent.

According to another aspect, a honey bee domicile comprises at least onesuper, and a bottom board. The bottom board has a bottom board opening.An entrance board is receivable in the bottom board. The entrance boarddefines an entrance pathway for honey bees to reach the at least onesuper from the opening. An exit board is receivable in the bottom board,and is vertically spaced from the entrance board. The exit board definesan exit pathway for the honey bees to reach the opening from the atleast one super. A removable tray is positionable in the exit pathway.The bees walk through the removable tray to reach the opening from theat least one super. The tray is configured to receive a powdered planttreatment agent.

In some examples, the entrance board may be slidably receivable in thebottom board through the opening. In some examples, the exit board maybe slidably receivable in the bottom board through the opening.

In some examples, the entrance pathway may include a light blockingfeature.

In some examples, the honey bee domicile may include a lid mountableabove tray. The lid may include at least one entrance port forming anentrance to the tray, and at least one exit port forming an exit to thetray.

In some examples, the entrance board may include a recess, and the traymay be receivable in the recess.

According to another aspect, a method for dusting bees with a planttreatment formulation comprises: providing a tray in an exit path of abee hive, the tray having a base; providing a layer of the planttreatment formulation on the base, the layer having an initial depth,the exit path having a vertical clearance above the layer; selecting theinitial depth such that the initial depth is less than a spiracle heightof the bees, and a depletion time of the layer corresponds to a shelflife of the plant treatment formulation; and selecting the verticalclearance such that for the duration of the depletion time, bee flightwithin the exit path is discouraged.

In some examples, the initial depth may be between about 2 mm and about4 mm.

In some examples, the depletion time and shelf life may be less than 10days, more specifically between 4 days and 5 days.

In some examples, the vertical clearance may be less than 1 inch. Insome examples wherein the bees are bumble bees, the vertical clearancemay be less than 0.875 inches, in other examples, wherein the bees arehoney bees, the vertical clearance may be less than 0.75 inches.

According to another aspect, a method for bee vectoring using bees and atreatment powder comprises: placing a layer of the treatment powder on afloor of an exit path from which the bees exit a domicile, the exit pathgenerally having a path length extending parallel to the direction ofbee travel from a path inlet to a path outlet when exiting the domicile,and a path width generally perpendicular to the path length, and a pathclearance height extending from an upper surface of the layer to alowermost surface of a path ceiling spaced above the floor, the pathceiling height large enough to accommodate passage of bees when walkingon the floor and small enough to inhibit bee flight above the floor; thelayer having a layer width generally equal to the path width, a layerlength extending along at least a portion of the path length, and aninitial layer depth extending from the floor to the upper surface of thelayer of treatment powder.

The layer length and the initial layer depth may be sized such that theinitial layer height is less than a spiracle height of the bees, and thelayer length at the initial layer height provides a sufficient amount ofpowder to have a depletion time that corresponds to a shelf life of theplant treatment formulation. The layer length may also be long enough totransfer to a bee walking from the path inlet to the path outlet anamount of treatment powder sufficient to load each bee to, or near to,its carrying capacity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings included herewith are for illustrating various examples ofarticles, methods, and apparatuses of the present specification and arenot intended to limit the scope of what is taught in any way. In thedrawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of an exemplary bee domicile;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective illustration of the bee domicile ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective illustration of the bee domicile of FIG. 1,showing a receptacle lid in an open position and a tray removed from areceptacle;

FIG. 4 is a perspective illustration of the bee domicile of FIG. 1,showing a receptacle lid in an open position, and a tray received in areceptacle;

FIG. 5 is a perspective illustration of the tray of FIGS. 3 and 4;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective illustration of another exemplary beedomicile;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional illustration of a portion of the beedomicile of FIG. 6, showing an entrance board, an exit board, a tray,and an openable lid received in the bee domicile;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective illustration of the entrance board,exit board, tray, and lid of FIG. 8;

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective illustration of another exemplary beedomicile; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective illustration of the receptacle of the beedomicile of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various apparatuses, processes, and/or formulations will be describedbelow to provide an example of an embodiment of each claimed invention.No embodiment described below limits any claimed invention and anyclaimed invention may cover apparatuses, processes, and/or formulationsthat differ from those described below. The claimed inventions are notlimited to apparatuses, processes, and/or formulations having all of thefeatures of any one apparatus, process, and/or formulation describedbelow, or to features common to multiple or all of the apparatuses,processes, and/or formulations described below. It is possible that anapparatus, process, and/or formulation described below is not anembodiment of any exclusive right granted by issuance of this patentapplication. Any invention disclosed in an apparatus, process, and/orformulation described below and for which an exclusive right is notgranted by issuance of this patent application may be the subject matterof another protective instrument, for example, a continuing patentapplication, and the applicants, inventors or owners do not intend toabandon, disclaim or dedicate to the public any such invention by itsdisclosure in this document.

Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary bee domicile 100 (also referred to asa bee hive) is shown. The bee domicile 100 includes a domicile body 102,the interior of which may be colonized by a bumble bee colony, or acolony of another type of bee. A domicile lid 104 is removablyreceivable on the domicile body 102.

Referring to FIG. 2, in the example shown, the domicile body 102includes an entrance port 106 and an exit port 108, through which beesenter and exit the domicile 100, respectively. An entrance/exit assembly110 is mountable to the entrance port 106 and the exit port 108. Theentrance/exit assembly includes an entrance conduit 112, which ismountable to the entrance port 106 and extends inwardly into the body102. The entrance/exit assembly 110 further includes an exit conduit114, which is mountable to the exit port 108 and extends outwardly fromthe body 102. Both the entrance conduit 112 and the exit conduit 114 aregenerally frustoconical. The entrance conduit 112 tapers in crosssectional area going in a direction away from the entrance port 106 andinto the domicile body 102, and the exit conduit 114 tapers in crosssectional area going in a direction away from the exit port 108 and awayfrom the domicile body 102. This tapering may encourage bees to enterthe bee domicile 100 through the entrance port 106 rather than throughthe exit port 108, and to exit the bee domicile 100 through the exitport 108 rather than through the entrance port 106. Particularly, whenapproaching the domicile 100 from the exterior, the bee is more likelyto enter the entrance conduit 112, as the opening to the entranceconduit 112 is larger than the opening to the exit conduit 114.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, in the example shown, the domicile lid 104includes a downwardly extending receptacle 116, which is integrallyformed with the domicile lid 104. An openable receptacle lid 103 (alsoreferred to as an openable lid 103) is pivotably mounted to the domicilelid 104, and is pivotable between an open position, shown in FIG. 3, anda closed position, shown in FIG. 1.

Referring still to FIGS. 2 and 3, in the example shown, both thedomicile lid 104 and the receptacle lid 103 include at least one vent119, so that the domicile body 102 and the receptacle 116 are vented tothe outside environment.

Referring still to FIGS. 2 and 3, in the example shown, the receptacle116 includes a receptacle entrance port 118, which opens into thedomicile body 102, and through which bees may enter the receptacle 116from the domicile body 102. The receptacle 116 further includes areceptacle exit port 120, through which bees may exit the receptacle116. The receptacle exit port 120 is aligned with the exit port 108 ofthe body 102. In order to exit the domicile 100, bees travel along exitpath 117, which passes from the domicile body 102 and into thereceptacle 116 via the receptacle entrance port 118, through thereceptacle 116, out of the receptacle 116 through the receptacle exitport 120, into the exit conduit 114 via the exit port 108, and out ofthe exit conduit 114.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, in the example shown, a tray 122 containing apowdered plant treatment formulation is receivable in the receptacle116, so that the tray 122 and the plant treatment formulation arepositioned in the exit path 117. As will be described in further detailbelow, bees passing through the receptacle 116 are encouraged to walkthrough the plant treatment formulation, so that the plant treatmentformulation may be picked up by and cling to the bees, for delivery to atarget plant, for example when the bees pollinate a target plant.

The tray may be made from a plastic, and may be of a one-piececonstruction. Further, the tray may be moisture impermeable, and lightimpermeable. This may help to prolong the shelf life of the planttreatment formulation.

Referring still to FIGS. 2 to 4, in the example shown, the tray 122 isremovably receivable in the receptacle 116, and may be placed into thereceptacle 116 and removed from the receptacle 116 when the receptaclelid 103 is open. In alternate examples, the tray 122 may be integralwith or permanently mounted to the bee domicile 100. For example, thetray 122 may be integrally formed in the receptacle 116, and may berefilled when the receptacle lid 103 is open.

Referring to FIG. 5, in the example shown, the tray 122 includes a beeentrance end 128 that is positioned adjacent the receptacle entranceport 118 when the tray 122 is received in the receptacle 116, and a beeexit end 130 that is positioned adjacent the receptacle exit port 120when the tray 122 is received in the receptacle 116. A longitudinal axis131 of the tray 122 extends between the bee entrance end 128 and the beeexit end 130. In the example shown, the bee entrance end 128 and beeexit end 130 are substantially identical, and the tray 122 is generallysymmetrical, so that the tray 122 may be inserted into the receptacle116 in either of two orientations.

Referring still to FIG. 5, in the example shown, the tray furtherincludes a base 124, and at least one side wall 126 extending upwardlyfrom the base 124 and surrounding a periphery of the base 124. In theexample shown, the tray 122 is generally rectangular, and includes foursidewalls 126, namely a pair of spaced apart walls 126 a, 126 bextending lengthwise between the bee entrance end 128 and bee exit end130, and a pair of spaced apart walls 126 c, 126 d, extending widthwisealong the bee entrance end 128 and bee exit end 130, respectively. Thesidewalls 126 define an upper rim 132.

In use, the powdered plant treatment formulation may be provided as alayer on the base 124, and be contained by the sidewalls 126. The planttreatment formulation may have an initial depth on the base, i.e. adepth when the layer is first provided on the base, before depletion bythe bees. In some examples, the initial depth of the plant treatmentformulation on the base 124 may be selected such that:

(1) The initial depth is less than a spiracle height of the bees.Spiracle height may be defined as the distance from a surface upon whicha bee is walking to the lowermost spiracle of the bee. By selecting theinitial depth to be less than a spiracle height of the bees, the powdergenerally does not block the spiracles of the bees, and generally doesnot interfere with respiration of the bees.(2) A depletion time of the layer corresponds to a shelf life of theplant treatment formulation. After the plant treatment formulation isfirst accessed by the bees (for example when the tray is first placed inthe receptacle), it becomes depleted as the bees pick up the planttreatment formulation. After a certain amount of time, it becomesdepleted to the point where the plant treatment formulation is no longerpicked up by the bees in a sufficient amount to benefit the target crop.The time from when the plant treatment formulation is first accessed bythe bees to the time the plant treatment formulation becomes depleted isreferred to as the depletion time. Further, the plant treatmentformulation generally has a shelf life. For example, as will bedescribed below, the tray may initially be provided sealed with aremovable top. The top may be removed prior to inserting the tray intothe receptacle. After the top is removed, the plant treatmentformulation may have a certain shelf life. For example, after the shelflife expires, the plant treatment formulation may have a decreasedability to benefit plants, may have a decreased ability to be picked upby bees, or may begin to degrade. In order to prevent wasting of theplant treatment formulation, the initial depth of the layer may beselected such that the depletion time of the layer corresponds to theshelf life of the plant treatment formulation. In some examples, theshelf life of the plant treatment formulation may be less than 10 days,for example between 4 days and about 5 days. The exact shelf life maydepend on various factors, such as the composition of the formulation,and the ambient humidity and temperature.In some examples, in order to meet the above requirements, the initialdepth may be selected to be between about 2 mm and about 4 mm.

The tray 122 may optionally be sold pre-filled with the plant treatmentformulation, so that when the plant treatment formulation is spent (forexample after several days), the tray 122 may be removed and discardedand replaced with a fresh tray. In such examples, the tray 122 mayinclude a removable top (see e.g. removable top 133 shown schematicallyin dashed outline in FIG. 5) sealed to the upper rim 132. The removabletop may be a metal foil, which may be heat-sealed to the upper rim 132,and which may be peeled off by a user prior to insertion into thereceptacle 116. The removable top may be light impermeable and moistureimpermeable, in order to maintain the freshness and efficacy of theplant treatment formulation.

In some examples, the removable top may carry a net positiveelectrostatic charge. As will be described further below, the planttreatment formulation may include a positively charged component. Thepositively charged component in the plant treatment formulation and theremovable top may repel each other, so that the plant treatmentformulation does not stick to the removable top.

Referring still to FIG. 5, in the example shown, the sidewall 126 cdefines a first set of steps 134 leading downwardly to the base 124 atthe bee entrance end 128, and the sidewall 126 d defines a second set ofsteps 136 leading upwardly from the base 124 at the bee exit end 130.The first 134 and second 136 sets of steps may aid the bees in enteringand exiting the tray 122. In alternate examples, a bee entrance endand/or bee exit end may include a ramp or ladder to aid the bees inentering and/or exiting the tray.

Referring still to FIG. 5, in the example shown, the tray 122 includes aplurality of posts 138 extending upwardly from the base 124, andpositioned between the bee entrance end 128 and bee exit end 130. Theposts act as obstacles around which the bees walk to reach the bee exitend 130 from the bee entrance end 128. In the example shown, the posts138 are positioned such that they are generally staggered, so that thereis no straight path parallel to axis 131 along which the bees can walkfrom the bee entrance end 128 to the bee exit end 130. This increasesthe length of the path the bees take between the bee entrance end 128and the bee exit end 130, which increases the amount of plant treatmentformulation picked up by the bees when passing through the tray 122. Inaddition, this encourages the bees to take different paths through thetray 122, which helps to keep the powder evenly distributed and notpacked down in a track.

Referring still to FIG. 5, in the example shown, the posts 138 aregenerally circular in cross-section. In alternate examples, posts may beanother shape in cross-section, such as square.

Referring still to FIG. 5, in the example shown, each post 138 has a topend 140 and an opposed bottom end 142 at the base 124, and each post 138is radiused at the bottom end 142. The radiused portion extends betweenthe post 138 and the base 124. The radiused portions can help to reducebuilding up and packing down of plant treatment at the bottom ends 142of the posts 138.

Referring still to FIG. 5, in the example shown, the tray 122 mayfurther include at least one obstruction extending inwardly from thesidewalls 126 and upwardly from the base 124. Referring to FIG. 5, inthe example shown, the tray 122 includes two obstructions 144 a, 144 b,extending inwardly from sidewall 126 a, and two obstructions 144 c, 144d, extending inwardly from sidewall 126 b. The obstructions extendgenerally inwardly from the sidewalls 126 towards the longitudinal axis131 of the tray 122. The obstructions 144 may generally serve todiscourage the bees from walking in a straight line from the beeentrance end 128 to the bee exit end 130 along the sidewalls 126 a, 126b, and to encourage the bees to walk amongst and around the posts 138.Again, this increases the length of the path the bees take between thebee entrance end 128 and the bee exit end 130, and encourages the beesto take different paths through the tray 122.

As mentioned above, the receptacle lid 103 covers the receptacle 116,and also the tray 122. Referring back to FIG. 4, in the example shown,the receptacle lid 103 and the tray 122 cooperate to encourage the beesto walk along the base 124 of the tray 122 and through the powder,rather than flying through the receptacle 116. Specifically, thereceptacle lid 103 is positioned above the sidewalls 126, and includesat least one downwardly extending barrier wall 146. In the exampleshown, the receptacle lid 103 includes a plurality of downwardlyextending barrier walls 146. The barrier walls 146 extend across thereceptacle lid 103 in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis131 of the tray 122 (when the tray is received in the receptacle). Thebarrier walls 146 have a top end 148 and a bottom end 150, and a heightextending therebetween. The height of the barrier walls 146 is selectedso that for the duration of the depletion time, the distance between thebottom ends 150 of the barrier walls 146 and the layer of powder on thebase is generally too small for a bee to fly between. The distancebetween the bottom ends 150 of the barrier walls 146 and the layer ofpowder on the base may also be referred to herein as the verticalclearance of the exit pathway. For example, the vertical clearance maybe less than 1 inch, and more specifically less than 0.75 inches. In oneparticular example, the height of the tray 122 is about 0.75 inches, thebarrier walls 146 extend to the top of the tray 122, and the initialdepth of the layer is 2-4 mm (0.08 to 0.16 inches. In this particularexample, the vertical clearance is between about 0.59 inches and 0.67inches. This may generally encourage the bees to walk along the base 124of the tray 122.

In alternate examples, the bees may be encouraged to walk along the base124 of the tray 122 and through the powder in another manner. Forexample, the height of the receptacle 116 may be selected so that thedistance between the top ends 140 of the posts 138 and the receptaclelid 117 is generally too small for a bee to fly between.

In the example shown, the barrier walls 146 additionally serve todiscourage the bees from walking upside down along an interior surfaceof the receptacle lid 103 and thereby avoid the powder altogether.

Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, in the example shown, the domicile 100further includes a door 154, which may be opened and closed to block andunblock the receptacle entrance port 118, to selectively allow orprevent access to the receptacle 116 by the bees. For example, whenreplacing tray 122 with a fresh tray, it may be desirable to close thedoor 154 prior to opening the receptacle lid 103, so that whenreceptacle lid 103 is open, bees cannot exit the domicile 100 via theopen receptacle lid 103. In FIG. 1, the door 154 is shown in a closedposition. In order to open the door 154, it may be pulled upwardly, andthen pivoted rearwardly so that it rests on the domicile lid 104.

In the example shown, the receptacle 116 and the tray 122 (when receivedin the receptacle 116) are internal to the domicile 100. In alternateexamples, the receptacle 116 and the tray 122 may be external to thedomicile 100.

For example, referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, in which like referencecharacters are used to refer to like features as in FIGS. 1 to 5,incremented by 800, an alternate exemplary bee domicile 900 is shown,wherein the receptacle 916 and tray 922 are external to the bee domicile900.

Referring still to FIG. 9, the bee domicile 900 includes anentrance/exit assembly 910 that is mountable to the entrance port 906and the exit port 908 of the bee domicile 900. The entrance/exitassembly 910 is similar to the entrance/exit assembly 110; however inthe entrance/exit assembly 910, both the entrance conduit and the exitconduit (not shown) extend inwardly into the body 902.

Referring to FIG. 10, the receptacle 916 is a separate unit from the beedomicile 900, and includes a rear wall 956, a top wall 958, a bottomwall 960, and opposed side walls 962, 964. The top wall 958, bottom wall960, and side walls 962, 964 define a front opening 965 opposed to therear wall 956. A removable door 957 (shown in FIG. 9) is mountable tothe receptacle 916 over the front opening 965. Hooks 966 are providedadjacent the rear wall 956, and are usable to mount the receptacle 916to a front face 958 of the body 902 of the bee domicile 900.

Referring still to FIG. 10, the receptacle 916 includes an interiordividing wall 968, which divides the receptacle into a first chamber970, and a second chamber 972. Bees enter the bee domicile 900 via thefirst chamber 970, and exit the bee domicile 900 via the second chamber972.

Referring still to FIG. 10, in the example shown, the rear wall includesan aperture 974. The dividing wall 968 extends across the aperture 974,and divides the aperture into a first chamber exit port 976, and asecond chamber entrance port 978. The first chamber exit port 976 isaligned with the entrance conduit of the entrance/exit assembly 910, andbees pass from the first chamber 970 into the bee domicile 900 via thefirst chamber exit port 976. The second chamber entrance port 978 isaligned with the exit conduit of the entrance/exit assembly 910, andbees pass from the bee domicile 900 into the second chamber 972 via thesecond chamber entrance port 978.

Referring still to FIG. 10, in the example shown, the side wall 962includes an aperture 980 in communication with the first chamber, 970.Further, the dividing wall 968 includes an aperture 984, which providesa path between the second chamber 972 and the aperture 980. Bees enterthe first chamber 970 through the aperture 980, Bees exit the secondchamber 972 through the aperture 984 in the dividing wall 968, and thenpass through the aperture 980 in the side wall.

Referring back to FIG. 9, a tray 922 is receivable in the receptacle916. The tray 922 is similar to tray 122; however, the posts 938 aregenerally square in cross section, and are aligned in a series of rowsand columns, rather than being staggered. Further, the bee entrance end928 and bee exit end 930 do not include stairs. Instead the bee entranceend 928 includes a generally upright wall 929, and the bee exit endincludes a sloped wall 931.

The tray 922 is receivable in the second chamber 972, and may rest onthe bottom wall 960 of the receptacle 916. The tray 922 may be insertedinto and removed from the second chamber 972 when the door 957 is open.Bees passing through the second chamber 972 are encouraged to walkthrough a plant treatment formulation housed in the tray 922, so thatthe plant treatment formulation may be picked up by and cling to thebees, for delivery to a target plant, for example when the beespollinate a target plant.

Referring now to FIG. 6, an alternate exemplary bee domicile 200 isshown. The domicile 200 may be colonized by honey bees, and includes atleast one super 202, and a bottom board 204. A lid 203 is mounted to thesuper 202. The bottom board 204 includes a forward end 206, a rearwardend 208, and an interior cavity 210. The forward end 206 includes abottom board opening 212 for opening the interior cavity 210 to theoutside environment. The at least one super 202 is open to the rearwardend 208.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, the domicile 200 further includes anentrance board 214, and an exit board 216, which are receivable in thebottom board 204. In the example shown, the bottom board 204 includesinterior rails 219 (shown in FIG. 6), and the entrance board 214 andexit board 216 are slidably receivable in the bottom board through thebottom board opening 212 and along the rails 219. The entrance board 214and exit board 216 are receivable in the bottom board 204 such that theyare vertically stacked. In the example shown, the exit board 216 ispositioned vertically above the entrance board 214; in alternateexamples the exit board 216 may be positioned vertically below theentrance board 214.

The entrance board 214 defines at least one entrance pathway 215 forbees to reach the at least one super 202 from the opening 212. Referringstill to FIGS. 7 and 8, in the example shown, the entrance board 214includes two entrance pathways 215 a, 215 b. The entrance pathways 215a, 215 b are defined by two channels 218 a, 218 b formed in the entranceboard 214. When the entrance board 214 and exit board 216 are receivedin the bottom board 204, the exit board 216 covers the channels 218 a,218 b. The channels 218 a, 218 b extend from the forward end 206 of thebottom board 204 to the rearward end 208 of the bottom board 204 whenthe entrance board 214 is received in the bottom board 204. The channels218 a, 218 b may include a light blocking feature, to block lightentering the bottom board 204 through the bottom board opening 212. Inthe example shown, the channels 218 a, 218 b are curved to block lightentering the bottom board 204 through the bottom board opening 212.

The exit board 216 defines an exit pathway 217 for the bees to reach thebottom board opening 212 from the at least one super 202. Referringstill to FIGS. 7 and 8, the exit board includes an upper surface 220.When the exit board 216 is received in the bottom board 204, the uppersurface 220 is spaced vertically below the super 202, and a gap 222 isdefined between the upper surface 220 and the super 202. The exit board216 further includes a downwardly extending recess 224 (also referred toas a receptacle) positioned forwardly of the upper surface 220. Anopenable lid 226 is mounted over the recess 224, and includes at leastone bee entrance port 228 positioned adjacent the upper surface 220 whenthe lid 226 is mounted over the recess 224, and at least one bee exitport 230 positioned adjacent the bottom board opening 212 when the lidis mounted over the recess 224. When the lid 226 is mounted over therecess 224 and the exit board 216 is received in the bottom board 204,the lid 226 is positioned closely to the super 202, so that beesgenerally may not fly between the lid 226 and the super 202. In order toexit the bee domicile 200, bees may pass from the super 202 to theregion of the upper surface 220, and may then walk along the uppersurface 220 or fly in the gap 222 towards the recess 224. Bees may thenenter the recess 224 via the bee entrance ports 228, pass through therecess 224, exit the recess 224 via the bee exit ports 230, and passthrough the bottom board opening 212.

Referring still to FIGS. 7 and 8, a tray 232 is receivable in the recess224, so that it is positioned in the exit pathway 217, and through whichthe bees may walk to reach the opening 212 from the at least one super202. The tray 232 is similar to the tray 122 described above withreference to FIGS. 1 to 4, and is configured to receive a powdered planttreatment agent. As described above with reference to tray 122, beespassing through the recess 224 are encouraged to walk through the planttreatment formulation housed in the tray 232, so that the planttreatment formulation is picked up by and clings to the bees, and isdelivered to a target plant when the bees pollinate a target plant.

When the plant treatment formulation in the tray 232 is spent, the exitboard 216 may be slid out of the bottom board 204 through the opening212, the lid 226 may be removed from the recess 224, and the tray 232may be removed from the recess 224 and replaced with a fresh tray.Alternately, the tray 232 may be refilled.

Similarly to the receptacle lid 103 described above with reference toFIGS. 1 to 4, the lid 226 includes downwardly extending barrier walls234, which cooperate with the tray 232 to discourage the bees fromflying through the tray 232 and encourage the bees to walk through thepowder. In this example, the vertical clearance may be less than 1 inch,more specifically less than 0.875 inches. In one particular example, thevertical clearance may be about 0.715 inches and about 0.795 inches.

The trays 122 and 232 may house any suitable powder formulation for thetreatment of plants. Suitable formulations may generally include a planttreatment agent (i.e. an agent that is beneficial to a crop), and one ormore additives.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A tray for positioning in an exit path of abee hive, the tray comprising: a) a base; b) a bee entrance end and abee exit end spaced axially apart from the bee entrance end; c)laterally spaced apart side walls extending upwardly from the base, theside walls extending generally lengthwise between the bee entrance endand the bee exit end; d) a plurality of posts extending upwardly fromthe base and positioned between the bee entrance end and the bee exitend, the posts being generally circular in cross-section, the postspositioned as obstacles around which bees must walk to reach the beeexit end from the bee entrance end, wherein the plurality of postsincludes at least a first row of laterally spaced apart posts and asecond row of laterally spaced apart posts, the second row spacedaxially apart from the first row, and wherein the posts of the first roware spaced laterally apart from each other by a gap sized to permitpassage of bees between laterally adjacent posts, and each post of thesecond row is laterally aligned with a respective gap between posts ofthe first row for inhibiting bees from walking in a straight line fromthe bee entrance end to the bee exit end.
 2. The tray of claim 1,further comprising a removable top bonded to an upper rim of the tray.3. The tray of claim 2, wherein the top is light impermeable and waterimpermeable.
 4. The tray of claim 1, further comprising a powdered planttreatment formulation housed in the tray, the powdered plant treatmentformulation supported on and in direct contact with an upper surface ofthe base when the tray is upright.
 5. The tray of claim 1, furthercomprising a first set of steps leading downwardly to the base at thebee entrance end, and a second set of steps leading upwardly from thebase at the bee exit end.
 6. The tray of claim 1, wherein each post hasa top end and an opposed bottom end at the base, and each post isradiused at the bottom end.
 7. The tray of claim 1, further comprisingat least one obstruction extending inwardly from each of the side wallsand upwardly from the base.
 8. The tray of claim 1, wherein the tray isplastic and is moisture impermeable.
 9. A tray for positioning in anexit path of a bee hive, the tray comprising: a) a base; b) a beeentrance end and a bee exit end axially opposite the bee entrance end;c) a first side wall extending upwardly from the base and a second sidewall extending upwardly from the base and spaced laterally apart fromthe first side wall, each of the first and second side walls extendingaxially between the bee entrance end and the bee exit end; and d) aplurality of posts extending upwardly from the base and positionedaxially between the bee entrance end and the bee exit end and laterallybetween the first and second side walls, the posts positioned asobstacles around which bees must walk to reach the bee exit end from thebee entrance end, each post spaced apart from the first side wall forpermitting passage of bees between the post and the first side wall, andeach post spaced apart from the second side wall for permitting passageof bees between the post and the second side wall, wherein the pluralityof posts includes at least a first row of laterally spaced apart postsand a second row of laterally spaced apart posts, the second row spacedaxially apart from the first row, and wherein the posts of the first roware spaced laterally apart from each other by a gap sized to permitpassage of bees between laterally adjacent posts, and each post of thesecond row is laterally aligned with a respective gap between posts ofthe first row for inhibiting bees from walking in a straight line fromthe bee entrance end to the bee exit end.
 10. The tray of claim 9,further comprising a powdered plant treatment formulation housed in thetray, the plant treatment formulation supported on and in contact withan upper surface of the base when the tray is upright.
 11. The tray ofclaim 10, further comprising a removable top bonded to an upper rim ofthe tray for sealing the tray, the removable top being moistureimpermeable and light impermeable.
 12. The tray of claim 9, furthercomprising a first set of steps leading downwardly to the base at thebee entrance end from an upper rim of the tray, and a second set ofsteps leading upwardly from the base at the bee exit end to the upperrim of the tray.
 13. The tray of claim 9, wherein each post has a topend and an opposed bottom end at the base, and each post is radiused atthe bottom end.
 14. The tray of claim 9, further comprising at least oneobstruction extending upwardly from the base and laterally inwardly fromone of the first side wall and the second side wall.